Basic Crochet Beanie this Winter

Winter is here again and as we all know, it is the coldest season of the year in the polar and temperate zones. This means a crochet beanie is very essential. Offering a handmade beanie might just be a great winter gift.

Fortunately, a basic crochet beanie is one of the common crochet patterns and the easiest to make and purchase.

How to Make your Basic Crochet Beanie

Follow the simple steps below and, in time, you would be able to create your own crochet beanie for the winter.

Step 1: Gathering The Materials

Before we actually begin creating a crochet beanie hat, we need to get the proper materials for making it. For a beanie, you need three things:

Yarn

This will make up the beanie itself. You can actually use any yarn of your choice but for the best results, use yarns with these qualities:

Light

The yarn must be thick but not heavy so the beanie is comfortable for the wearer. They are easy to work with but still thick enough to protect the head from the elements.

Soft

It is important to pick a soft yarn as a beanie is designed to hug the head tightly. If you are giving this item as a gift, consider purchasing yarn that is made of hypoallergenic material.

It is important to note that wool materials are a no-no.

Machine Washable

Select a yarn that is durable and easy to clean. Preferably, opt for materials that are machine friendly, that do not shrink when washed or fray easily after multiple uses.

Easy to Work With

Pick a material that has a strong stitch definition so that you can see where your stitches are going through.

Also, the material must be light enough to work with any crochet beanie pattern so you can finish the hat without much trouble—especially if you’re a beginner in the craft.

Scissors

The application for this is quite obvious as it is used to cut the yarn to your desired length. Also to make corrections in your work for loose strands and frays.

The Hook

There is also no restriction as to what crochet hook you must use. However, it is recommended that you purchase an F hook which can work with almost every yarn material out there. It is also easy on the hands even if your work spans several hours for best results.

Step 2: Measurements

One key to mastering a basic crochet beanie pattern is to make sure that the hat fits comfortably. To do this, you must get the proper dimensions for the hat. The Measurements you need are;

The Head Circumference

Before anything else, you need to get the circumference of the head. This refers to the distance covering the widest part of the head. It starts at the tip of the nose and goes back to the base of the skull.

Crown Width

To find the crown width you need to divide the head circumference by 3.14.

Hat Circumference

A crochet beanie is designed to fit the head in a tight hug. In other to achieve this, subtract 1 inch from the head circumference. This would allow for a not too tight fit, making the hat comfortable to wear.

The Height

To get the height of the hat, measure the top of the head down to the lobes of the ears. The latter should serve as the edge of your beanie or a reference to add flaps to your design or to make a slouchy hat.

Step 3: Making the Beanie

Now that you’ve gotten the measurements and the materials, It’s time to make your winter basic crochet beanie.

The Foundation Chain

Every crochet beanie comes in either a single or double stitch and begins with the foundation chain.

There are many ways to create the foundation chain but the best beginner crochet method is through the loop method.

Step 1

Begin with tying a slip knot to the end of the yarn and then pulling the loop over the crochet hook.

Step 2

Pull the working end of your yarn to tighten the knot. Make sure the first loop is snug enough so it doesn’t fall off the hook when you move the entire loop.

Step 3

To start on the chain, hold the tail-end of the yarn in your free hand then use the hook to catch the loop of yarn on the working end of your chain.

Draw the loop in; using the tail end as a handle while you pull the hook up and over the end.

Viola! You just created a loop! Now tighten the loop by gently pulling on the working end of the yarn.

Step 4

Repeat the process for the first few rounds until you’ve reached a diameter of 3 inches.

Step 5

From this point, you need to start creating a continuous loop. To do so, you must push the hook through the first loop you made and yarn over.

Now, you’ve created two loops on the same hook and your foundation chain is now complete.

Step 4: Shaping and Increasing

Eventually, you’d have to find the curvature of your hat or you’ll end up with a large flat circle or a crochet slouch hat. This is where “increase” comes into play. You have to increase the number of stitches in each round you make. This is necessary as you want to reach the desired diameter for the head and once you’ve reached the proper crown circumference, you need to stop the increase in your stitches.

Step 5: Finishing

Once you’ve completed the basic form of your winter beanie, the next step is to add depth to it. You can go beyond the desired hat length if you want to so that your crochet beanie also covers the base where the neck and head meet.

To achieve this, you can add a few more rows to the mid and back portions of the final mandatory rows of your hat. There is an option to use a different yet complementary color to several rows after the crown region in order to give your crochet beanie accents.

However, it is very important that you properly seal the final rows of your beanie to give it the necessary durability. To do this, you must use a tapestry needle to weave the ends of the yarn of the loops you are about to fasten.

Step 6: Embellishments

At this point, after following the basic beanie hat pattern, your crochet beanie is done. But there’s still room for improvements especially if you want to personalize the beanie to fit yourself or the person you’re gifting it to.

You could use scrap materials like felt to make flowers and then stitch the flowers to the outward facing surface of the beanie.

Things like pom-poms, flowers, and patches are great additions to the crochet beanie which are also easy to make on your free time. After a few more finishes and a thorough check of your work, your beanie is ready to wear or gift for the season.

Mastering the basic crochet beanie pattern is not that difficult. With a lot of time and patience, you can start creating crochet beanies for your friends and loved ones this winter. Remember it is a season of love, family, giving and sharing.

However, if you are like me that have little or no time to make a beanie, you can simply order a ready winter beanie from our store – for your amazing beanies for men, click here; for women beanies click here; for babies, click here

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